OP-ED Challenge: "Why be Moral..."

Give voice to this year's Mark Luchinsky Memorial Lecture topic: "Morality in an Age of Hubris: What Matters Most and Why"

Ask yourself the question, "Why be Moral? and then bring your words to life by accepting the Op-Ed Challenge. RSVP at the link below by January 15, to enter the first Schreyer Honors College Student Op-Ed Challenge.

Getting Started

Op-Ed's should be timely, in other words, they should be "pegged" to current events when possible.

Op-Ed's should be tailored to the audience (for example, New York Times, Washington Post, etc.) Specific guidelines will be shared with all who RSVP.

There are no guarantees of your article being published; however we can guarantee that all submissions will be considered for a series in the Collegian and local newspapers.

The first 20 submissions will be reviewed and critiqued by best-selling author and Scholar Alumnus, Dr. John Kaag, between January 23-29.

The author will lead a FREE writing workshop for all interested students on January 29 in C-9 Atherton Hall. Be sure to check the SHC Web Event page for information on the writing work shop and to RSVP by January 20.

DEADLINE FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS: JANUARY 22, 2018.

Suggested General Op-Ed Questions

What is the challenge to getting undergrads engaged in civic duty/moral communities?

What are the moral implications for the current tax proposal for young people?

What does the current Presidency say to young people when it comes to moral theory?

What is the difference between legality and morality in contemporary society and which do young people think is more important?

To what extent is Centre County/Happy Valley a moral place?

To what extent does Happy Valley reflect the moral stance of the nation?

To what extent does Happy Valley predict the outcome of legal or political issues at the national level?

Tailored Op-Ed

If tailoring your piece to a specific news medium such as the Chronicle of Higher Education, you may want to consider the following:

What role does ethics education play in STEM classes?

What are the obstacles to teaching business ethics?

What do students think about ethics in the current political climate?

What can teachers do to make ethics matter to undergraduates?

Should ethics be mandatory for all students and, if so, how much and what sort of instruction is best?

What are students worrying about if they are not worrying about morality and ethic?

Take an example from contemporary media to demonstrate the necessity of studying ethics...make sure to specify the particular ethical lesson that needs to be taught in the case.